


Rebirth from destruction

by hanekoma



Series: World's End [4]
Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Zombies, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-22
Updated: 2012-04-22
Packaged: 2017-11-04 02:58:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/388923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanekoma/pseuds/hanekoma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A shared kiss during an attack that they thought would be their last turns the aftermath situation into a tense and awkward one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rebirth from destruction

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by cris-art.

Sure, it had been two and a half months since they had met, give or take a few days. It was hard to tell time when constantly on the go and sleep deprivation was a constant companion. And yeah, maybe they had gotten a lot closer, but the last thing he expected was to be kissed.

Perhaps it could be written off as ‘heat of the moment’ or just being lonely. After all, both of them were in a very tense situation. They had almost died and prior, both had steeled themselves for the possibility that it would be the end.

At the last moment, Teddy had grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled him into a kiss. It was awkward and their teeth had knocked together. Even with those flaws, he enjoyed it. Truth be told, that want for Teddy had grown exponentially since that fateful meeting back at his school. All he wanted was to kiss Teddy over and over again.

But he wouldn’t. Since their survival and escape, he’d been keeping his distance from Teddy. They used to walk side-by-side, but now he made sure to trail behind by at least ten feet.

At one point, Teddy had paused to check if Billy was okay. The response came out much more harsh than he meant and he could see the hurt expression on Teddy’s face. While that did break his resolve a bit, Billy wouldn’t give in and do something stupid. Something that would hurt them both.

Apparently the tension became too much for Teddy as he dragged Billy off the path they were on. Even if he protested, it was obvious that Teddy was not going to let him escape this confrontation. He was prepared for the worst in this situation.

“Okay, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting strange since last night.” A momentary pause and then a deep frown. “Did that kiss bother you _that_ much?” Now, it was almost impossible for him to read Teddy’s expression.

So, he would steel himself up and protect himself the best way he could. Part of him imagined that Teddy had figured out his sexuality and was making fun of him in this way, the other part thought it was completely driven out of loneliness. Either option sucked a lot.

“Oh. So, I’m supposed to be happy when someone uses me to distract from their loneliness?” His tone was dry and dripping with sarcasm. Eyes focused on Teddy, narrowing in defiance. It was almost as if he was daring Teddy to deny it.

Billy could see the anger boiling inside of Teddy. Up to this point, he hadn’t seen any real anger from Teddy, especially not directed toward him. All he expected was yelling, maybe a fist or two coming in contact with his jaw.

A crack echoed through the area and Billy’s eyes snapped back to Teddy in an instant. His neck hurt from the sudden jerk that accompanied the slap. There was a soft red color that began to spread over his cheek from the injure and a dull throb of pain accompanied it.

That was enough. “Maybe we should just part ways.” Now he was avoiding looking at Teddy, refusing to show any possible vulnerability in his expression. The one thing he was able to do was deliver his words with such an icy tone that it chilled even him.

For a moment, he dared to look at Teddy and it almost broke his heart at the pain that was held there. When his eyes snapped away, he could feel a soft sigh on his uninjured cheek and the slight warmth from Teddy began to disappear.

If Teddy was willing to give up this easy, he was convinced that he was right on the assessment that this was just some fill for loneliness. An overwhelming pain began to overtake him and it was almost to the point where he was having troubles breathing. Not only was he being left alone by a man he was falling for, but he was being left in a situation where he might not even survive.

Suddenly, though, that warmth was back. His breath hitched as his chin was grabbed and forced to look upward at Teddy. “No. We are not doing that. I don’t want you to die. You’re not just some random whim to cure my loneliness. Billy, I like you. As in desire.”

With those words, Billy’s mind went blank. A loud throbbing in his ears made it impossible to hear anymore. There was nothing he wanted more than to believe Teddy, to give into those words and cling onto him.

The problem was that he’d heard this before moments before he got this shit beat out of him when the crowd of boys from the basketball team came down on him. That feeling of almost suffocating on his own blood never left him. In fact, that suffocation felt similar to how he was feeling now.

He had to get away. As fast as possible. One hand shoved at Teddy’s chest and he ran as fast as he could, praying that Teddy wouldn’t be able to keep up. The only pause he took was to vomit. Strong acid burned his throat and his muscles trembled, but he had to keep going. To get as far away from Teddy as possible. From his past.

———

It had been almost a day since he’d be left alone. _I'm not scared_ , he tried to lie to himself. Of course he was scared. There was no way that he wouldn’t be. Every last weapon, scrap of food and the flashlights were with Teddy. Basically, he was screwed.

With every step, he felt like he was walking into his own grave. Not only that, he was exhausted. Gradually, that weight of being tired made his feet drag. But this was the fate he decided on. To be alone and fend for himself. There was no chance that he’d stay with Teddy and the idea of reliving his past during this time of crisis.

Another problem with his exhaustion is that his alert was next nothing. That’s why it was jarring when he was tackled down to the ground. When he was going down, his ankle had caught and there was a cracking sound. The pain shot through his body to the point of almost immobilizing him.

“You idiot!” Teddy yelled, despite the attention that might be drawn. There was no time to fully grasp what was happening and he barely saw, out of the corner of his eye, Teddy grabbing a nearby plank and facing off with a zombie that almost made Billy lunch. In one fell swoop, Teddy had the undead decapitated.

Before he was able to fully collect himself and come to the realization that he was almost eaten, he was being turned onto his back. Strong hands were holding him down and he felt drops falling to his face. One hit his lips and he could taste that salt flavor. Their gaze met, lingering for a few moments before Teddy shifted into a deep hug. After first, that embrace felt comforting.

Billy could feel Teddy’s body trembling a bit on top of him. “What would I have done if you had died, Billy? I don’t think I could have…” Teddy’s voice trailed off. All these words translated to, in his head were, ‘I don’t want to be alone and you’re an easy target.’

And suddenly that suffocating feeling began to surface again and his vision was blurring. Memories began their onslaught, trying to break him. Not only that, but the addition of pain throbbing through his body was starting to be overwhelming. Yet again, he felt like vomiting and could feel that burn in his throat.

“Can’t. Can’t breathe.” A panic attack was setting in and he needed freedom. Even if he looked like an idiot, flailing and writhing under Teddy, he needed space. Having Teddy looming over him like this, it was like he was being boxed in and the claustrophobia to human touch was spiking.

Almost immediately, Teddy released him and pulled back. One arm reached down to draw his injured leg close to his body, shifting into a fetal position. As he rocked ever so slightly, he couldn’t help but began to laugh. They both were a mess and the whole situation was absurd. Teddy should have just run off on his own like a good little jock boy.

There was a lingering moment of hesitation before Teddy reached out and touched Billy’s shoulder. “Are you okay…?” Teddy whispered softly and in a very calming way. Recoiling under the touch and words, he’d automatically swatted Teddy’s hand away. That touch burned his skin. “Billy, you’ve got to calm down, you’re going to hyperventilate.”

Even if Teddy was right, there was no way he could control his emotional state right now. All he could do was go along for the ride. Maybe if he tried to get some distance from the aggressor, he would be freed of this. So, very weakly, one of his hands tried to reach out and grab at the surface, but gave up after one hefty tug. There was no way he had the strength to crawl between exhaustion and his ankle as is.

Once he realized how futile this all was, that laughter ebbed away and turned into sobs. Yet again, he pulled his legs up to his chest. Every movement hurt like hell, but he was going to have to suffer through it, especially if he scared Teddy off.

When Teddy’s question fully hit him, his head began to shake back and forth. No, he wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. “I thought things were getting better. I thought you were different than them. But you’re not. You’re just the same as them.” His breaths were coming out choked between sobs.

“Whoa, whoa. Different than who? Hey, Billy, talk to me…” The concern in Teddy’s voice only helped to encourage his frantic state. His mind was reeling and there were about a thousand feelings rushing through him at once.

“All you basketball jocks — no, all you jocks in general… You’re all the same. You enjoy tormenting people, making them break.” It was hard to talk when his mouth wouldn’t keep up with all of his words. “Just because I’m gay, you don’t have to do this to me. Just leave me alone already.”

Now he was whimpering. It was a disgusting feeling being this vulnerable. Not only was he spewing out all of his emotional anguish, his body hurt from an injury bestowed upon him by Teddy. Of course, he was conveniently forgetting that Teddy did so to save his life.

That burning feeling in his throat became too much to hold down and he threw up again. Since he’d had no food since he ran away from Teddy, it was only a yellow bile that spread on the concrete. It probably wasn’t good that he was also losing what bit of hydration he had in him, too. All he could focus on was the burning in his throat and ankle.

From the tense silence came Teddy’s voice. “I won’t touch you until you tell me it’s okay, but Billy… I’m not like that. I promise I won’t hurt you.” He could see a pained expression cross Teddy’s face, that gaze focused on his ankle. “At least not intentionally.” There was an unspoken apology behind those words.

With Teddy’s words, Billy’s sobs started to ease up. Not that he was going to trust what he heard right away, but something in Teddy’s eyes were quite genuine. Still, he didn’t want to be used as any kind of replacement, to fill a void for loneliness.

“I still think we should go our separate ways,” he whispered out. Finally, he had control over his breathing, but his head was pounding from all the crying and oxygen deprivation. The vomiting hadn’t helped, either.

Teddy’s gaze shifted off of him now, focusing on some random spot. “You’re not alone, you know. My best friend, he…” That pause was accompanied by a tightening in Teddy’s features. There was no way he was going to be able to assume what Teddy was about to say.

Their gaze met before Teddy pressed on. “Apparently this guy had some pent up frustration. After a few beers one night, he decided to use me to comfort himself during his break-up period. I let him because that was exactly what I desired. Only problem was when he found out about my attraction.”

Eyes went wide as the realization of what Teddy was actually saying began to sink in. Not only was he the same, but he knew how much it hurt to be used. “S-So, you’re—”

“Yes, Billy. I’m gay, too.” A wry look crossed Teddy’s face. “Or, as my friend called me, a ‘fag.’ After that, he never spoke to me again. I think the only reason he never said anything is that the basketball team needed this _fag_.” There were hints of anger seeping through Teddy’s words, wanting to take control.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them as he tried to take in all of Teddy’s words. There was still some lingering doubt that Teddy might not actually be gay, that this was just some rouse to torment him. But everything about Teddy’s story and body language felt like he was telling the truth.

Shifting to sit painfully up, he reached out to toward Teddy’s cheek. About midway, he paused, hesitating again. “How do I know you’re not lying to me? That you’re not just going to enjoy seeing me suffer like the rest?”

“You don’t. Trust is a leap of faith.” This was the most honest answer he could have gotten. If Teddy had tried too hard to convince him that everything was the truth, it would have been a lot harder to believe his words. The simplicity of this statement broke down part of that iron wall he’d built up.

Finally, his hand closed the distance between them, settling on Teddy’s cheek. It was quite adorable how Teddy leaned into that touch almost on instinct. Swallowing hard, he tugged at the front of Teddy’s shirt, wanting him closer.

Now the pair sat side-by-side. Billy was leaning heavy against Teddy, letting everything sink in, debating how he should act now. Both of them exchanged looks and Teddy commented, “We should get moving soon. Before more of them come along. I’m surprised our earlier scene hasn’t brought them in already.”

Even if he nodded, Billy was more focused on Teddy’s lips than the words that had come out of them. This was how they shared their second kiss. It was anything but fancy. Both of them were stained with tears and had no rhythm for it, but the need and passion resonated between them and made up for all the flaws.

Fingers tightened into hair and clothes, shifting positions and trying to find what felt right. When their teeth hit during their adjusting, it almost ended the kiss. Despite that pain, neither pulled away and drew closer instead.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were left breathless. Their lips were swollen, but neither of them seemed to mind. The gentle smile that spread over Teddy’s lips warmed Billy all over. It was the first time in a while that he found himself smiling as well.

“Now… We really should get you somewhere safe and get that ankle patched up,” Teddy whispered out. He couldn’t resist giving a small kiss to the corner of Teddy’s lips. Shifting some, his arms stretched out.

“Carry me.” That demanding tone made Teddy’s smile grow. Things were far from being okay, but they were starting to work toward it. Arms wrapped around the back of Teddy’s neck as he was picked up. These arms no longer felt suffocating. In fact, he felt like he was in the safest spot on earth.


End file.
